By George Ozalla
The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, has called for stronger collaboration among member states of the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) to enhance aviation safety across West Africa, urging stakeholders to engage in open and constructive deliberations that would strengthen the institutional capacity of the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA).
Najomo made the call while declaring open the Extraordinary Meeting of the Board of Directors of BAGAIA, hosted by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in Abuja from August 4 to 7, 2026.
The meeting brought together members of the BAGAIA Board of Directors, Directors-General of Civil Aviation from member states, the Head of the BAG Secretariat, the BAGAIA Commissioner and other delegates to deliberate on governance, operational and strategic issues aimed at strengthening the Agency and deepening regional cooperation in aircraft accident and incident investigation.
Welcoming delegates, Najomo expressed delight that Nigeria was hosting the meeting and stressed the importance of collective efforts in addressing the challenges confronting BAGAIA. He urged participants to ensure that their deliberations produced practical outcomes capable of enhancing the Agency’s effectiveness and sustaining its contribution to aviation safety across the region.
Among the major issues considered at the meeting were the recruitment and conditions of service of the BAGAIA Commissioner, the Agency’s financial position and contributions from member states, implementation of decisions of the BAG Council of Ministers, operational and strategic activities, expansion and staffing requirements, as well as the contractual status of the Training Support and Technical Director.
A major outcome of the meeting was the election of Engr. Jorge Manuel Rodrigues of Cape Verde as the new Chairperson of the BAGAIA Board of Directors following the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past chairperson, in line with the Agency’s governance framework.
The meeting also reaffirmed the commitment of BAG member states to strengthen BAGAIA’s governance structure, improve its financial sustainability, enhance institutional capacity and promote greater regional collaboration in support of aviation safety across the sub-region.
According to a press statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, BAGAIA is an independent regional agency under the Banjul Accord Group established to investigate aircraft accidents, build safety capacity and promote aviation standards among member states, including Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
